(No, not Mork & Mindy.  That would require more Os.)

I’m talking about National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, of course!  The annual writing fest that challenges your inner author to actually produce something: 50,000 words in 30 days (or 1667 words per day). I wrote a short history of this fabulous event back in my younger days, and last year I wrote about it, too, in hopes of passing on the writing fever to whoever happens to be passing by.

Miracle of miracles, I actually made it last year, my first time in 7 years of trying.  I was in a daze for weeks!  Not that my story was any shade of good or anything – but I did print it out, just as proof. 

Of course, that puts the pressure on me this year, and as always I have not a clue of what I’ll be writing yet.  Generally a really brilliant plot comes to me as I sleep, but when I wake up all I have are ghostlike slivers of a memory of it, leaving me exactly where I always am at the end of October: signed up to go, but nothing yet to go on. Still, it’s a month worth of sheer marvelous bits of writing alternating with drivel that’s not fit to see the light of day, as well as an amazing group of fellow authors that will inspire you every single day that I wouldn’t trade for anything.  I hope you all will join in, too!  Writing starts on November 1st, and you have the entire month of November to make it work.

For the past few years the ABC has supported the NaNo writers in various forms, and this year, happily, is no exception.  Here are all the dates lined up for you:

Saturday, October 31st: NaNoWriMo Kickoff!  The inspiring Lisa Friedman and Nico Janssen will host a workshop from 19.00 to 21.00 hrs at the ABC Treehouse in Amsterdam on how to get those creative juices flowing.  It’s become a real tradition over the years, so be sure to sign up!

Sunday, November 8th:  Write-in at the ABC Treehut in Den Haag, from 13.00 – 17.00 hrs, hosted by NaNo legends Susanna, Gabrielle, and Arike (the first being the instigator of the monthly writing group that meets at the Treehut and those last two are the MLs for the region).  There are power outlets for your laptop, but you’re also welcome with notepad and paper.  Last year these write-ins were really popular; I think about 20 people came to each one!  Expect word wars, procrastination, and lots of support and advice on where to go if you’re stuck.

Sunday, November 22nd:  Write-in at the ABC Treehut in Den Haag from 13.00 – 17.00 hrs.

Sunday, November 29th:  Final write-in at the ABC Treehut in Den Haag from 13.00 – 17.00 hrs.

If you can’t make it to your nearest ABC, there are loads of other write-ins planned around the country.  See the Holland & Belgium forum on nanowrimo.org for more information.  For those of you who love a party, don’t forget the national Kick-off Party on October 31st in Utrecht as well as the Thank God It’s Over Party to toast your masterpiece (or to ritually burn whatever you produced)(in a festive atmosphere, of course ).

Happy writing!